20180429

Is Blogging Dead?


It's now officially the 4th of my blog my blog so a better time couldn't have come for me to talk about a topic that's been on my mind lately. I've read some really interesting posts on the future of blogging recently from Anna's (inspired by Hannah Gale's) to Laurzrah's way back last year and I guess it's left a lot of us wondering 'is the age of the blog over?' 


I often find that a lot of YouTubers and Instagrammers (the newer ones in particular) tend to all have this very similar, picture-perfect look. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with how they look - they look amazing and are super-talented. However I do think there's the notion that if you want to be big in that space then you have to have this very specific look, which the person in front of the camera may not even have without contouring, filters and editing. You need to drip the unicorn drops (or whatever!) in the exact same way, you need to contour your nose like this or do your brows like that. This kind of artistry definitely has a place in the beauty world (or Nikkietutorials and James Charles wouldn't be HUGE), but I get the impression that it's only the very established people who feel as though they can do a casual chit chat whilst applying an everyday face of makeup. With blogging, I don't think there's the pressure to look a certain way or conform to a particular style of makeup. Some bloggers are known for being minimalist with their makeup and focusing on the skin and others have never posted a single photo of themselves. To me, this just allows more freedom to talk about what you want and to enjoy content from different people with very different styles and focuses in terms of content. It doesn't have to be a tutorial or even about makeup - though there are definitely skincare channels and accounts, I think they buck the trend more than anything.

Laurzrah also made a really important point in her post; when you're reliant on social media platforms to get to your audience, you're kind of at their mercy. With blogs, you can own your domain and host everything yourself. On other platforms we're feeling the pain of algorithm changes making it tough to grow your account, plus demonetisation on YouTube - luckily if you're a blogger, social media is more of a tool than the end in itself, so it doesn't hurt you so much when these things happen.

Some people feel as though the blogging wave has come and gone and I guess I can't really speak for that because I definitely did benefit from growing my blog at a time when it felt as though blogs maybe got more attention. As I was still at university for the first year of my blog, I had the time to post three times a day to Instagram and every day on my blog, which obviously helped (and I definitely don't do this now!) Several times a week we'd head over to Twitter to do themed chats for an hour - it was a great way to connect with fellow bloggers - but they seem to have fizzled out entirely. There used to be so much commenting too! I appreciate that over half my traffic comes from Google (which I don't think is uncommon) so it's probably not people with Disqus accounts who are going to comment - it's people looking up a particular product, getting what they need and leaving, however I don't think that explains everything. I check the links of all (non-spammy) commenters on my blog but a lot of people just don't because maybe that sense of community and reciprocity has faded a little. It definitely felt like a smaller, more intimate world back when I started this blog and if I'd been doing it today, I can quite safely say that I don't think as many people would read this or be following me on various platforms. But why should any of this stop you from starting or continuing your blog if it's what you love to do? I don't think you should start something like this with the intention of it getting huge or even becoming your career. You should do what you love doing because you love doing it!

Finally, I think writing seems to have become an underrated commodity! I've said it before and I'll say it again; I just love makeup and writing. I'm not some amazing makeup artist or a particularly gifted photographer (it still feels like a skill I've built up with considerable, conscious effort and one I stumble over all the time). On blogs we have as many words as we want, to say whatever we want in as much detail as we want. I get that not all bloggers are passionate about this and we've probably all read posts with a stunning photo and minimal content in terms of informing us about a product. If you're more focused on creating carefully-crafted flatlays, maybe Instagram is a better option, and if you want to do tutorials then YouTube is the obvious platform. That's the beauty of all of these outlets: you get to choose the best medium to express yourself!

In summary, has the world of influencers and beauty changed? Of course! Does this mean blogs are irrelevant? Of course not! I think that essentially implying people don't have the attention span to read content is a little bit condescending - of course it's great to get a quick hit of beauty content on social media, but if you're researching whether to buy a product, it's likely you'll be looking to blogs and to longer YouTube reviews.


Do you think blogging is dead or alive and kicking?


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53 comments

  1. I think it is alive and kicking, at least for me. Not because I get that much growth, it has always been slow, but because it is still what I turn to the most for entertainment. Yes, I am old, but Instagram is way too fast paced for me, I have to get my beauty fix when the job and the kids allow for it and cannot be on my phone 24/7.

    Anne - Linda, Libra, Loca

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  2. I have to say, despite being a blogger myself, I definitely read blogs much less now. A lot of people are moving more towards Instagram, and I feel like my attention span and time has become shorter. I'm only reading my very favourite blogs now.

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  3. Honestly I miss blogs so much. I know YouTube and Instagram seem much more lucrative, but there's nothing that can replace a well written article on something. For one thing blogs take up less data, so even if I'm on the go it takes way less time to catch up on a blog than it is for a video. There's something really natural about reading a blog. I'd like to think just because blogging has fallen out of focus, it doesn't make it any less geniune. I will continue reading blogs as my main source of beauty inspiration until I possibly can!

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  4. Hi Jasmine,

    Great post. I enjoyed reading your point of view on this. I think blogging can be less rewarding nowadays when you weigh up the time it might take to create a blog post compared to an instagram post. Personally blogging is a passion project and that's what drives me to create the new content. Whenever there is genuine passion the people will always come.

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  5. I still love reading and writing blog content, and until I don't, it won't ever be dead. I love creating content on my blog. It gives me all the feels! Sure IG is ok to scroll through, but it will never compare!

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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  6. Interesting and relevant topic. I don't watch half as much of Youtube as I used to. Those people have moved on to bigger and more exciting projects, and I guess I've moved onto blogging, so I've actually done the reverse! I will sometimes stumble upon YouTube but not at all for beauty content. None of it is really relevant to me and the funny thing is, I have a short attention span now for beauty content videos. For beauty-related posts though, I can read for hours. There's just something very personable about blogs that I like. The person's tone, POV and personality really comes through. It understands me and I understand them.

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  7. I enjoy reading and writing blogs and follow far more bloggers than I do youtubers but then I’ve always been a reading kind of person rather than a tv one. @beautyover45

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  8. I definitely don't think blogging is dead, sure a lot of people prefer youtube but not all! I go to blogs over youtube when I want to know if a product is worth buying or if I want to see swatches and images of the product. I did this before I even became a blogger and I know many others who do it too. I prefer reading over watching and I definitely think blogging is around to stay for a long time. :)

    Gemma Louise

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  9. I certainly hope blogging isn't dead!! I think you are right though perhaps the attention span is different now and with so many different mediums out there, there are different avenue for information. That said, nothing beats having your own blog - it's yours and can't be taken away from you.

    Great post lovely x

    franklyflawless.com

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  10. I definitely think it's alive and kicking. Not as busy as it Ince was I think most people realise how much work it involves!


    Candice | NatalyaAmour.com

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  11. I think blogging is still here and will still be here for a long time in the future. yes, I enjoying spilling all of the tea with Nikkie, Jeffree, James and Jackie but I find, with YouTube, there's less of a community. What I like about blogs is that most of us don't have 10000000000000 followers so we see every comment on our writing, most of which will have taken us a lot of time and effort to produce, and are able to appreciate them and feel good about them. Whereas, with YouTube videos and massive influencers, each comment just passes you by. Blogging isn't dead - I come back to read your posts every time Jasmine! x
    Marina Rosie x
    https://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/

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  12. I do think blogging lost its way a lot when YouTube came round, and I'm not actually sure anyone reads my blog who isn't a blogger, but I do think the community isn't dead and there is still a desire to create content. I guess for me, blogging is only really dead when you no longer want to write, super interesting post! xx

    www.iridescentplaces.com

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  13. blogging has been loist a bit. people focus on the quick social media "blogging" and forget, they don't own those sites. those sites come and go but the blog the content there will always be there. I have been focusing more on my actual blog than social lately.

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  14. This is such an interesting read. I feel like a lot of big youtubers all abandon their blogs when they get big on YouTube, don’t really know why! It’s such a shame because I love writing and reading posts when I get a chance

    http://claresloves.blogspot.com/

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  15. I believe blogging isn't dead at all.
    It might have lost a few spots once YouTube and Instagram exploded but, as scandals erupt people started to realise that not everything is the same.
    As someone who has been watching YT videos and reading blogs for a good 5 years, I believe that there's space for everyone else. Blogs give me the information I am looking for without much of the YT drama and most of time photography sells me more a product than a video. Temptalia's blogposts are a perfect example of that. She has been doing what she does for years and she still thrives.

    Also, platforms like Bloglovin and social-media multitasking have been helping people to maintain the community together - hosting blogs from different platforms at the same place. And obviously the fact that we can have better-looking templates.

    I believe this question is, although some might disagree, the same as when people asked if printed books were becoming obsolete due to increasing use of ipads and other devises. And yet, bookgrammers still thriving on Instagram and blogs and people still prefer to obtain the physical version. (I am one of those people). So I believe that blogs are still going to be relevant. It's a way of people expressing themselves through writing and sometimes Photography and other media.

    Wishing you all the best,
    Randomlydi

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  16. This is a really interesting post. I don't think blogging is dead per se but I think the market is definitely oversaturated now and there's a lot of ingenuity from a lot of bloggers who are in it for the PR lists, the money etc. I do have a more of a skeptical view, I've blogged for four years and I've seen bloggers blatantly ignore comments, I also work full time in Content and PR at an agency so I see a lot of bloggers requesting freebies and almost every blogger I've worked with has wanted money and a lot of the time a ridiculous amount.

    I think now that the bloggersphere is so saturated, PR's and blog readers are a lot more choosy with who they follow. I used Bloglovin and I've unfollowed a lot of bloggers who have bene fake or have just been rude. I think now more than ever integrity is everything. And, I actually don't like the new influencer look with a full face of makeup, it may sound awful but I don't wear false lashes every day, I don't wear fake nails or fake tan and whilst I have no problem with those who do for me, it's much harder to relate to that specific image. I prefer the honest bloggers who have their own unique sense of style regardless of what is or isn't popular at the time :)

    Also just realised I left a very long comment which very rarely happens so great post it's certainly sucked me into discussion :)

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  17. This post was really interesting, Jasmine. Thanks for the mention too! I am always here for blogs and I have to disagree with them being in the decline. People want more content than ever! x

    Laurzrah

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  18. This was a really interesting read!! I fully agree with you about there being a specific look amongst all the bigger 'influencers' at the moment, it seems to be a mould that is proving difficult for the community to break. I miss the good ol' blogging days when it was all American Apparel Disco Pants and Benefit High Beam...

    Becca / www.becc4.co.uk

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  19. This is the first of all the blog posts I've read about blogging "dying out" that I've actually related to. There's just so much you can do with the written word that you can't in a youtube video or a quick insta (even with a lengthy caption). I really appreciated your post and your posts in general! <3

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  20. Love the way this post is written. It was definitely interesting to read because it is quite relatable and something I have been noticing a lot lately. I have found myself enjoying less blogs because quite a few feel more magazine like rather than engaging if that makes sense. I still love reading blogs of course but generally they are the same as previously (at least the ones that are still up and running) and a couple of newer ones. Still love writing though!

    -Sophie xx
    Cherries & Perfume

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  21. I still really love reading blogs and definitely prefer a blog to Insta. I like detailed reviews and being able to search on a blog for something in particular. I've noticed that my views and comments have changed but a lot of the people who were regular commenters have stopped blogging. I'll always read my favourite blogs! xx

    Beautylymin

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  22. Great post! The market is definitely oversaturated now, but I'm happy to see blogs such as yours which I've followed since the early days are still alive and kicking!

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  23. I have been blogging for 3 years now and still find a blog post more informative than just a youtube video or an insta post... Will for ever prefer blogging to anything else <3

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  24. I think blogging isn't a "fad" anymore which I, personally, am completely fine with. I think for some it matters why they are blogging. I don't blog to be famous, I blog to share experience and hope I can help another person. I blog regardless of if 5 people are reading it or 500 or 5000 etc. I blog because its a form of creative expression for me. But for those who blog to make money they may have a very different opinion then I do.

    I'll always love blogs so long as there are people willing to put content out for me to read :)

    best,
    Chrissy of Geekowl

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  25. Love reading your articles girl!! And funny enough i was just thinking the same thing the other day.. I think time will tell I guess :) Would love it if you checked out my new beauty post

    Kisses xo | From Aliona With Love
    Instagram @alionawithlove
    YouTube @alionawithlove

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  26. Great idea for a post and interesting topic. I began blogging in August and am finding it a saturated market that's really tough to grow in at the moment. I find a lot of blog traffic comes from Instagram but it's hard to organically build a loyal following. Maybe it takes a long time! Rome wasn't built in a day! So to answer your question, I'm unsure if blogging is dying! xx

    RedheadAmerican.com

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  27. This post really captivated me. I don't think blogging is dead as there will always be people who look up reviews for certain products or need beauty tips from honest people. I do follow the new influencers and appreciate their artistry in the field but the looks they create is something I would not replicate for my day to day life! I can relate much more to blogs :)

    https://covetedbeauty.blogspot.ca/

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  28. Oh I think blogging is definitely alive and I feel just as strong as YouTube. Do I spend less time reading blogs in comparison to watching YouTube videos, yes but I still learn a lot from bloggers and probably more so than I do with the videos.

    www.upyourvlog.com

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  29. Personally I don't think blogging is dead, I still prefer to read blogs over Instagram and have pretty much quit watching YouTube with the exception of a few YouTubers. I find the YouTube community is oversaturated with affiliate codes, fake reviews and everyone is starting to look and sound the same. I find with blogging it's very different and more come across as genuine and you can feel the blogger's personalities though her words.

    Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity

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  30. I know what you mean about it feeling very fast-paced - I only follow accounts on there that I really love or else it's just too much content! x

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  31. That's a shame :( I get the impression a lot of people feel that way - I guess I've just always been a bookworm so generally choose to sit down with a hot drink and have a good read! x

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  32. That's such a good point! I never really watch videos when I'm out and about whereas I often read blogs on my commute x

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  33. I know what you mean: it feels as though you have to sit down and properly watch a video, whereas I can read posts whilst listening to music or a podcast. I totally know what you mean about people's voice / writing style coming through in blog posts too x

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  34. Aw thank you Marina! I definitely do find a lot of those YouTubers a bit unrelatable and although they do create amazing looks they're not really something I'd recreate myself haha x

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  35. I think non-bloggers definitely read but almost never comment! x

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  36. That's such an interesting comparison - I'd never thought about it like that before! And I always read her posts too - they're so informative :) x

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  37. I know what you mean: they aren't the kind of looks I'm going to spend an hour replicating for a day at the office haha. It's also interesting you say that - a PR recently got in touch asking if I'd like to try some products from one of their brands. I'd had a few other bits from them I'd enjoyed so said 'sure, it'd be great to do a brand focus' and they assumed I'd require payment as well as the products, so it must be common! x

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  38. Haha this comment made me feel so nostalgic! x

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  39. Aw thank you so much! Really glad this resonated x

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  40. That's a good point - there are so many people who started around the same time as me and who I felt were so much more successful than me that don't actually blog now. I think I probably take for granted the fact that 4 years is a long time in the blogging world so people come and go! x

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  41. That's interesting! I don't seem to get much direct traffic from Instagram at all x

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  42. I know what you mean - there is much more diversity in appearance and styles within the blogging world, whereas YouTube / Instagram has a very specific look it seems you have to conform to in order to gain success. And it does get repetitive seeing the same Morphe codes / Kylie first impressions on every channel! x

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  43. I loved reading this post! Sometimes I really think blogging out as people are less time poor and prefer scrolling instagram for outfit posts and beauty finds rather than reading a blog post. But I love reading other peoples perspective!
    Chloe X www.chloelxuise.com

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  44. One of the biggest reasons I started my blog was because I loved writing, and I love talking about beauty and fashion! I thought putting two interests together made a great creative outlet. But in the beginning, I only followed through because I knew I couldn’t commit to a YouTube channel: I was deathly afraid of being on camera, and I’ll say filming and editing a single video would probably take me longer than writing and editing 2-4 blog posts! And I can write/schedule multiple blog posts in a day. Filming, editing, AND scheduling multiple videos in one day? Not happening lol
    I’ll admit that at first, I thought maybe I’d made a mistake. I was reading everywhere how video content was so much better than written, how everyone’s watching videos, how brands love working with popular YouTube and Instagram content creators. I thought I’d maybe disadvantaged myself from getting very far.
    Now, I’m grateful I started my blog, because I call ALL the shots, and I have full ownership and control over my content. I have MULTIPLE ways to earn income, and I no longer make my decisions based off of how much a brand would or wouldn’t like it.
    That’s why I don’t stress too much about my instagram as much as I used to. I thought I needed perfect pictures, a perfect feed, a perfect theme, perfect captions. It’s not only unreasonable, it’s also unrealistic. I want things to feel authentic and smooth, not staged and contrived. As far as brand opportunities, the right ones will appreciate that. If a brand doesn’t want to work with me just because I don’t have professional photography or editing skills, the so be it. It’s also nice to see that there’s still people out there that aren’t falling for the smoking mirrors. Everything isn’t always going to look like it cane out of Vogue magazine, and many people are perfectly fine with that. I find that lots of followers of various beauty influencers are starting to feel disconnected with their content because they no longer appear relatable.
    I’m happy that I can express myself how I please, and there’s no overhead that can police me or tell me what I can and can’t do.
    Relying on social media alone I believe, isn’t the best move. In the end, the platform doesn’t belong to us, and in one fell swoop, things could take a turn overnight that completely shifts everything off course, and now it’s extra time and effort struggling to put all the pieces back together. It’s important not to put all eggs in one basket for sure.

    Https://rosegoldpearls.com

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  45. What a lovely post Jasmine! Blogging is not dead imo. Social media is just a platform to promote blog posts for me. I do get traffic on blog via Google which is why I have started posting more frequently on blog. I take social media breaks but blog is always active. Social media is hard to cope up at times. Thankfully I'm not on every platform and I agree about YouTube and beauty videos. I don't watch YouTube videos anymore but still follow some of the bloggers who are also YouTubers and do not share makeup tutorials for e.g. Anna, Lily. I do Not go for full face of makeup on daily basis and it's not feasible either as I'm not into a job which requires me to look perfect. I have learnt a lot from blogging and it's a continuous journey but it's not as competitive and fast as social media or YT imo. I worked on my photography since I started my blog and that does help a lot in terms of social media or on Google. People click better looking photos more than any of my older photos. I love your writing style and think you should not worry much about blogging. You own your blog and social media platforms might die eventually but blog will stay.

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  46. I love that you described writing as an "underrated commodity". I totally agree with you. My blog partner and I started ours because we both love to write. As you said, the social media aspect of it and the photography is a challenge, but the writing is why I keep blogging. I heard the term "micro-blogging" once as a way to describe a small, dedicated number of readers rather than a huge following that may be tough to communicate with. I sort of feel like most blogs fit into this designation...the micro-blogging world, where every blog has its own small following of dedicated readers. It's tougher this way but I do think writing is essential and blogs fill that void for me! There's nothing as personal as a beautifully written article.

    Lovely post as usual, Jasmine.

    Deanna xo
    www.luxandvitae.com

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  47. I definitely agree about it being so important to control your platform - especially given all of the YouTube and Instagram changes of late! I know what you mean about Instagram creating an environment where everyone's under pressure to be as picture perfect as possible - the one positive is the addition of Stories, which you can be a bit more unplanned and informal on.
    This was an interesting read - thank you for sharing! x

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  48. They're the Youtubers I tend to stay following too - I know people complain about that group of YouTubers but they're waaaay more relatable than Nikkie, Manny etc. as they wear makeup and talk about products that fit in with my everyday life :)
    And thanks so much Ash - you know I love your posts too - they're so helpful and the depth couldn't be achieved on another platform! I too see social media as a way of promoting my blog but it has felt over the last couple of years as though its taken on a life of its own! x

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  49. I really like that way of thinking about it actually! Blogging definitely feels more personal and connected than YT videos going out to millions of subs x

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  50. Agreed, me personally I'm not into the whole false lashes, fake tan, false nails, false everything look but that's just me. And yep, it's very common at my previous job we had a policy where we wouldn't pay if we were giving away a free service but there would be select bloggers who would always try and get both.

    My new job it's difficult, some of the consumer brands love bloggers and some love sending samples but a lot of them are either only wanting to be in the news or they are smaller brands that are paying a hell of a lot to an agency to get them coverage so they don't always want to spend additional money on gaining coverage it completely varies! It's got to the point where PRs and Journos use a subscription service to send requests of what they need eg info for an article, it's gotten abused so badly by bloggers begging for sponsored posts that they had to send out an urgent bulletin to every subscriber to try and stop it because PRs were getting harassed multiple times a day!

    Having said all of that I totally get bloggers wanting compensation for access to their following and I understand full time bloggers needing to pay bills but sometimes we have to be ruthless, for our SEO accounts sites get judged purely on SEO metrics so DA, Trust Flow, Citation Flow, Spam Score etc and if they're not good quality we cant do it, especially as Google is against paying for links! xx

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  51. Also from a personal level, I genuinely love your blog, a lot of your recommendations I can't always use (if you look at my profile pic you'll see that we're entirely different skintones) but I often try the same products in different shades and I think the quality of your content is what keeps me coming back on a daily basis even if I don't always comment :) One of my fave blogs to read now

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